Of Kittens and Lightning Bolts
by Zanza8
Summary: Sequel to Episode # 418, Season 12. Festus AND a kitten are more than Doc can handle.
1. Chapter 1

Doc and Kitty were sitting together in the Longbranch when Matt came in. "Festus still not back?" asked the marshal.

Kitty shook her head. "It's three days since he rode out. I'm starting to worry about him."

"Well, I'm not," huffed Doc. "Now that the drought broke, he probably went fishing and forgot to come back." He fixed Matt with a steely eye. "I suppose you should go find him, in case he forgot how to get back." There was a jingle of spurs outside and Doc's face lit up for a moment, then he scowled ferociously and turned.

Festus came through the swinging doors and stopped at the bar. Kitty got up and joined him. "Festus, where have you been? We were getting worried."

"I wasn't!" snapped Doc.

Festus looked over at Doc and shook his head. "Doc, yore just gettin' meaner ever' day, ain'tcha?" He turned back to Kitty. "Well, I got caught out in that rain and soaked clean through and then I wuz feelin' a little peaked..."

Kitty smiled. "Would a whiskey help?"

"It sure would." Doc looked at Matt and snorted. They were all used to the deputy's innocent ploys to get free drinks. Then he heard the coughing and looked around sharply. Festus was leaning on the bar, his whole body shaking in a coughing fit.

"Just a minute, Sam," said the old man, coming over to the deputy. Festus had stopped coughing but his face was flushed and he still leaned on the bar for support. Doc felt his forehead and looked at his eyes, then ran his hand over his face. "Come on up to the office."

"Doc, I don't need no office visit. Just a little whiskey..." Festus looked at Sam, but the bartender had already put the bottle away. "Miss Kitty?" She smiled and shook her head. Festus glared at Doc. "You just cain't stand to see a man have a well-earned drink, can you?"

"The day you have a well-earned drink is the day there'll be snow in August! Let's go."

As they started out the doors, Doc tripped and almost fell over a half-grown orange kitten that wound itself between his feet. Festus caught his friend, then bent and picked up the kitten. "There you are."

"Festus, you got a cat?" asked Kitty, coming over to scratch the little animal behind the ears.

"Not exactly. When I got caught out there in the rain I wuz makin' for shelter, and then I seen this little feller stuck up in a tree..."

"Oh, for Heaven's sake," said Doc. "Don't tell me you risked your life in that storm climbing a tree to rescue a kitten?" Matt had come over and was trying not to laugh.

Festus looked sheepish. "Well, he wuz stuck up there and what with the storm comin' I couldn't just leave him, could I?"

Matt sighed. "Festus, have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?"

The deputy looked puzzled. "Matthew?"

"I'm sure the kitten would have been just fine if you had left it alone."

"Well, that may be, but I warn't takin' no chances."

"Except with your health," said Doc, annoyed. "Let's go." Festus cast a longing look at the bar, but Matt gave him a stern look and he went with Doc.

Once in the office, Festus put the kitten on the floor and sat on the examination table while Doc took out a tongue depressor. "Say aaahh."

"What?"

"Open your mouth and say aaahh."

Festus drew back. "Why?"

"I want to look at your throat."

"Cain't you see it from where you are?"

"I want to look at the inside of your throat! Now say aaahh!" Doc advanced on the deputy, who subsided and opened his mouth. The old man peered carefully, then stepped back, regarding his friend with exasperation.

"Well, you've got a cold."

"I know that, Doc. I don't need to climb up here to have you tell me that."

Doc ran his hand over his face and turned to his medicine cabinet. "I have some pills here." He stopped talking and sneezed. "And I'm going to give you some laudunum for that cough." Doc rubbed his eyes, which were beginning to water. He sneezed again. Festus looked worried.

"'Pears to me you better keep them things, Doc. You sound like you might be gettin' sick yoreself."

Doc turned on him fiercely. "I am not getting sick! I'm allergic to your cat."

"Oh, there you go again with them long words that don't mean a thing. I'm gonna put this kitten outside, 'cause he might be makin' you sneeze. My Aunt Thede couldn't have a cat near the house. Why, she would sneeze 'til her nose swole up like a bullfrog on a summer night."

Festus picked up the kitten and deposited it outside, then sat back down.


	2. Chapter 2

Kitty and Matt were at a back table in the Longbranch a few days later when Doc came in. They beckoned him to join them and Sam brought a pitcher of beer.

"Doc, we haven't seen you for a while," said Matt.

"That's because I've been busy. Unlike you, I have to work for a living. I don't have time to sit around in a saloon making eyes at pretty girls." Doc took a pull at his beer and winked at Kitty. She smiled back and Matt rolled his eyes. A jingle of spurs announced Festus' arrival and they all turned to the swinging doors.

The deputy's face was pale and drawn, but his eyes were bright and he almost bounced across the room. "Miss Kitty."

"Festus, it's good to see you up and around."

Matt smiled. "Sit down, Festus."

"Don't mind if'n I do. When a man's been all alone on his sickbed it does him good to see his friends again."

Doc glared. "I happen to know that Kitty was at your place every day, spoiling you. Matt, you were there too. I saw you, carrying trays from Delmonico's."

Matt's face was solemn. "Well, Doc, Festus was pretty sick. We didn't want to lose him."

"Lose him!" Doc sneezed. "I've been trying to lose him for years and he just keeps turning up like a bad penny!" Doc rubbed his eyes and sneezed some more, then looked angrily under the table. Two huge green eyes in a little orange face looked back and he popped up again. "Festus, I told you to keep that cat away from me. I'm allergic to cats."

The deputy shook his head. "I don't know what you mean by allergic, but I'll take him outside. My Aunt Thede..."

"I don't want to hear about your Aunt Thede!"

Festus bent and picked up the kitten. "C'mon, cat."

They watched him go and turned back to their beer, when suddenly there was a scream outside. Matt bolted for the door, followed by Doc. They were aghast at the sight that met them. Festus was sitting in the street holding a little girl, his face stricken. A woman stood beside him, screaming hysterically. Matt and Doc ran over and the old man knelt beside the deputy.

"Festus, what happened here?" asked the marshal.

"I didn' see it, Matthew. I heerd this lady start screamin' and I seen this young'un layin' in the street..." He looked at Doc. "How is she, Doc?"

Doc frowned as he felt over the child's body. "No broken bones that I can find...no bleeding...she has taken a bad blow to the head, though..." He stood up and took the hysterical woman by the shoulders. "Here, stop that racket! Stop it!" He raised a hand but she gulped and went silent. "Is this your daughter?" She nodded. "Well, what happened?"

"It was my fault." They all turned. A young cowboy was shuffling his feet nervously. "I haven't been to town for months and I was riding too fast and this girl...she ran out in front of my horse and got knocked down." He looked miserably at Matt. "It was an accident, marshal."

Matt looked hard at the young man. "What outfit you with?"

"The Bar-H."

"What's your name?"

"Tom Edwards."

"All right. Go back to your camp and stay there, and Edwards..."

"Yes, sir?"

"I better be able to find you if I want you. Don't make me come after you."

"No, sir. I mean, yes, sir. I mean..."

Matt sighed. "Just get going."

The cowboy jumped on his horse and left at a dead walk. Festus stood up with the little girl in his arms. "Doc?"

"Bring her up to the office, Festus." The old man turned to the mother. "What's her name?"

"Beth. Beth Simmons." The woman reached out a trembling hand and touched the child's hair. "Is she going to be all right, Doc?"

Doc ran his hand over his face. "I need to examine her before I can answer that but I promise you I'll do everything I can."


	3. Chapter 3

That night Festus climbed the stairs to Doc's office and knocked softly. After a moment, Doc came to the door and beckoned him in. The deputy looked at the tiny form on the examination table and whispered, "How is she, Doc?"

Doc shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "I don't know. She's got a mild concussion, which ordinarily wouldn't be very serious, but she should have woken up by now." He sneezed violently and looked around. The orange kitten had followed Festus in and jumped up next to the child, looking very pleased with itself. Doc sighed. "Festus, please take that cat outside."

"No."

The deputy and the old man turned as one to the table. The little girl was stroking the kitten's cheek. "I like him. Can he stay?"

Doc moved to his patient and looked at her eyes, then took her pulse. He sneezed, then said, "Of course he can stay. You don't mind, do you, Festus?"

The deputy's gentle hazel eyes were warm. "No. I don't mind a'tall."


	4. Chapter 4

Beth Simmons sat in a buggy talking to Festus while Doc gave some final instructions to her mother. "Now she seems fine, but she should get a lot of rest." He sneezed and rubbed his eyes. "Bring her back in about a week so I can take a look at her." He coughed and rubbed his eyes again.

"I'll be here, Doc. Thank you for all your help." Mrs Simmons looked over at Beth. "Did you thank Doc for taking care of you?"

"Yes, I did, mama. And thank you, Festus, for the kitten."

"That's all right, honey." He smiled sweetly at the child. "What you goin' to call him?"

The little girl cuddled the kitten in her lap. "Ginger Tom."

Festus scratched the kitten's head. "That's a fine name for a orange cat."

Beth looked worried. "I just hope you won't miss him too much."

The deputy turned thoughtful. "Well, when you come to town again you'll just have to brang him along so's I can see him."

"All right, Festus," said the little girl happily. Her mother climbed into the buggy and picked up the reins.

"Ready to go?"

Beth nodded and waved to Festus and Doc. They waved back as the buggy drove away, then Doc started coughing again. Festus looked concerned. "Doc, you don't sound so good. I think mebbe you caught a cold." He tried to take the old man's arm and Doc slapped his hand away.

"I'm fine. I just need a little rest."

"I can take you up to yore office."

"I can take myself up to my office!"


	5. Chapter 5

Doc was huddled in his rocking chair, wrapped in a blanket, when he heard the jingle of spurs. He groaned as Festus opened the door and entered with a pitcher, followed by Matt and Kitty. "What do you want?" snapped the old man.

Festus looked hurt. "We just stopped in to see how you were feelin', seein' how you caught a cold."

"I didn't catch a cold. I caught your cold."

"Well, wherever you caught it from, I got somethin' here that'll put you right as summer rain." The deputy poured something into a mug and handed it to Doc, who sniffed it suspiciously.

"What is this?"

"Chicken soup. It's Aunt George's own special recipe, garunteed to put hair on your elbows."

"The last place I want hair is on my elbows! Now take this witch's brew and get out!"

"Now you listen here, you ornery old scutter, yore goin' to drink that soup and then yore goin' to go to bed and get some rest! I don't want to hear no back talk neither."

Doc looked at Matt and Kitty. "Matt, get him out of here!"

The marshal shook his head. "Not a chance, Doc. You're in good hands." He turned to go.

"Kitty! You've got to help me!"

Kitty went over to Doc and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be back later. Now you listen to Festus."

"Listen to Festus! Wait a minute!"

It was too late. Matt and Kitty were out the door and walking down the stairs, listening to the voices from the office.

"You may be a good doctor but you are the worst patient that I have ever saw!"

"I am not your patient, you knot-headed jackass!"

Kitty looked up at Matt. "Reckon he'll survive?"

Matt laughed. "I guess that depends on which one you're talking about." They continued down the stairs and out into the sun of a perfect day in Dodge.


End file.
